Texas Ballet Theater faces fundraising deadline to stay open

Texas Ballet Theater must raise between $1 million and $1.5 million over the next 60 days or it may be forced to close its doors, a two-year member of the ballet's board of trustees confirmed.

Thomas Russell, who served on the ballet's '07-'08 season management committee, said that in a "hastily" called meeting of the ballet board on Thursday -- organized by TBT's chairwoman, Robin Arena, and its president, Suzanne Charriere -- trustees learned that the company is confronting overall debts requiring the immediate raising of at least $1 million to pay down.

"It was spelled out several times to me and other board members that if the ballet didn't raise that amount, then it would have to explore the very strong option of shutting its doors," Russell said.